Mayor of Geelong

Darryn Lyons (born 19 August 1965) is an Australian media personality, entrepreneur and politician, who rose to prominence in Australia and the United Kingdom as a paparazzo. He held the position of Mayor of Geelong from 2013 to 2016.

DARRYN Lyons says he may have been “vilified and hounded from office”, but Geelong has not heard the last of him.

“I will continue to raise the city’s profile, to broaden its job base to attract investors and to enhance the community’s pride in this great place,” he said in a farewell message as mayor. “Like it or not, you haven’t heard the last of me. I’m not going anywhere else.”

Lyons’ message came as the Geelong council was sacked with ratepayers to go to the polls next year.

A Bill dumping the regional council passed the Legislative Council on Thursday evening, after the Andrews Government agreed to bring an election forward by three years.

The Government had originally wanted to boot the council on Tuesday and keep administrators in place until 2020.

The amended bill to sack the Geelong council tonight returned to the Lower House where it was ticked off.

In 2013, Lyons announced his candidacy for the City of Greater Geelong 2013 mayoral election. At the start of the election he was quoted as saying "As I have learnt from my time in the UK every election needs a comedy candidate and also as I've seen from Tony Abbott's example the electorate respects a man with great abs". Despite this he then campaigned heavily for the position with a "presidential-style mayoral campaign", including having a plane tow a banner across the sky in the city. He was declared elected after the distribution of preferences on 25 November 2013; Lyons garnered almost 30 per cent of the first preference votes, more than double the primary votes than the second-placed candidate. Lyons was sworn into office on 26 November 2013.

As mayor, Lyons has focussed on lobbying for the city, creating publicity and lifting the city's profile in order to attract tourism and investment.

Lyons has advocated for building a cruise ship pier on the Geelong waterfront in order to boost the city's economy with tourism. The pier would also incorporate a convention centre and cultural centre.

Other initiatives introduced by Lyons include improving the city centre by making street parking free on weekends and planting plants in the streets.

On 16 April 2016, the Victorian Government dismissed Lyons along with the rest of the Greater Geelong City Council, following a Commission of Inquiry which found that the council is riven with conflict, unable to manage Geelong's economic challenges, has dysfunctional leadership and has a culture of bullying. The government appointed administrators to run the council until council elections are held in 2017.

Lyons is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia and resides in the Western Beach area of Geelong. His fiancee is Elissa Friday, a former model and a student. He was formerly married to Melanie Whitehead, who left him in 2000. Lyons is a personal friend of Melbourne mayor Robert Doyle, who supported Lyons during his 2013 electoral campaign. Lyons has acknowledged drug abuse, binge drinking and heavy gambling during his life abroad.





Geelong

Geelong, is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south-west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is the second largest Victorian city, with an estimated urban population of 184,182 as at June 2014, having grown 1.4 percent since June 2013.

Geelong runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with Corio Bay to the east and hills to the west. Geelong is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality, which covers urban, rural and coastal areas surrounding the city, including the Bellarine Peninsula.

Geelong City is also known as the 'Gateway City' due to its central location to surrounding Victorian regional centres like Ballarat in the north west, Torquay, Great Ocean Road and Warrnambool in the southwest, Hamilton, Colac and Winchelsea to the west, and the state capital of Melbourne in the north east.

Geelong was named in 1827, with the name derived from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal name for the region, Jillong, thought to mean "land" or "cliffs". The area was first surveyed in 1838, three weeks after Melbourne. The post office was open by June 1840 (the second to open in the Port Phillip District). The first woolstore was erected in this period and it became the port for the wool industry of the Western District. During the gold rush, Geelong experienced a brief boom as the main port to the rich goldfields of the Ballarat district. The city then diversified into manufacturing, and during the 1860s, it became one of the largest manufacturing centres in Australia with its wool mills, ropeworks, and paper mills.

It was proclaimed a city in 1910, with industrial growth from this time until the 1960s establishing the city as a manufacturing centre for the state, and the population grew to over 100,000 by the mid-1960s. During the city's early years, an inhabitant of Geelong was often known as a Geelongite, or a Pivotonian, derived from the city's nickname of "The Pivot", referencing the city's role as a shipping and rail hub for the area. Population increases over the last decade were due to growth in service industries, as the manufacturing sector has declined. Redevelopment of the inner city has occurred since the 1990s, as well as gentrification of inner suburbs, and currently has a population growth rate higher than the national average.

It is known for being home to the Geelong Football Club, the second oldest club in the Australian Football League.

Today, Geelong stands as an emerging health, education and advanced manufacturing hub. The city's economy is shifting quickly and despite experiencing the drawbacks of losing much of its heavy manufacturing, it is seeing much growth in other sectors, positioning itself as one of the leading non-capital Australian cities.

Mayor of Townsville

Cr Hill is dedicated to ensuring that the future of Townsville is prosperous and progressive.

She wants to ease the cost of living for residents and focus the council on services and programs that build a strong community, support business and employment, and safeguard Townsville’s lifestyle.

Cr Hill is also committed to developing a strong council team to serve the city over the next four years. Essential to this is ensuring that all councillors work in the best interests of the city.

Councillor Hill was born and educated in Melbourne, Victoria, and graduated from LaTrobe University with a Bachelor of Science in 1981. The following year she moved to Townsville with her fiancé who was enlisted in the Australian Army.

Cr Hill has 23 years’ experience as a scientist with mining companies, the Department of Primary Industries, James Cook University and Townsville Hospital. She has also completed a Masters of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University, which included management, economics and accounting.

In 1986 she joined the Army Reserve, first serving in the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME), maintaining and recovering defence vehicles, and then becoming one of the first women in Australia to complete full infantry training.

Cr Hill has 12 years’ service in local government. In 2012, she was elected the first female mayor of Townsville.

Family and Interests

Cr Hill is married with two adult children, a 23-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. She is passionate about Townsville and its tropical lifestyle. She is a car enthusiast and is a keen supporter of junior sporting clubs and school P&C committees. On the national sporting scene, she supports the Cowboys NRL team but is still an avid fan of her AFL club, Collingwood. She loves reading and enjoys strategy games.

The official title of the Mayor is Cr Jenny Hill, Mayor of the City of Townsville.

In the second reference, this form of address becomes Cr Hill. If you are writing to the Mayor, the appropriate salutation is “Dear Cr Hill” or “Dear Mayor”.




Townsville

The City of Townsville is an Australian local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock and Reid River, and to the north are Northern Beaches and Paluma, and also included is Magnetic Island. It currently has a population of 175,542 residents, and is the 18th largest LGA in Australia.

Mayor of Cairns

Robert "Bob" Charles Manning OAM (born 1945) is the mayor of the Cairns Regional Council, Queensland, Australia.In 2004 Manning was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the community of the Cairns region through the development and promotion of the tourism, maritime and aviation industries". In 2002 he was awarded Cairns Citizen of the Year.
Manning was born in Cairns, and attended Edge Hill State School, and Cairns State High School. He also received a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Southern Queensland. Manning served three years in the Australian Army including in Vietnam 1970-1971.

He has had a lengthy involvement with the Airports Council International from 1993-2000 (including president, vice-president and vice-chairman) and was the director/chairman of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (previously Far North Queensland Promotion Bureau) for eleven years from 1986 to 1997.

In 2012, the same year as he was elected Mayor of Cairns along with the "Unity 2012" team,Manning purchased nationally acclaimed company Events NQ. In February 2015, Events NQ was put into liquidation, with staff left without their entitlements and creditors unpaid.

In 2012 Manning announced his intention to run for mayor of the Cairns Regional Council with a team of candidates under the name "Unity 2012". This is not to be confused with Kevin Byrne's former "Cairns Unity Team". Manning considers his team to be apolitical and has publicly stated that Unity 2012 have no political affiliation and most of the candidates have a business background.

Bob is married to Claire Manning and has two grown children (Mark and Belinda). Bob Manning's father founded the iconic local Manning's Pies.

Bob Manning OAM is a Vietnam Veteran and former CEO of the Cairns Port Authority and Longreach Shire Council.

He was awarded Cairns Citizen of the Year in 2002, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his service to the Cairns region community through the development and promotion of the tourism, marine and aviation industries.

Mayor Manning's Profile ( PDF, 0.1 MB )

Contact information

For meetings with the Mayor, requests for the Mayor to speak and/or provide letters of support please contact the Mayor's Personal Assistant by email mayorspa@cairns.qld.gov.au or (07) 4044 3083.

If you would like to invite the Mayor to participate in your event, please complete the request form ( DOCX, 0.05 MB ) and return it by email with a covering note to mayorspa@cairns.qld.gov.au. The Mayor's schedule will be checked and you will be advised of his availability or otherwise within five days.

To contact the Mayor directly please send an email to b.manning@cairns.qld.gov.au


Cairns

Cairns, is a major city on the east coast of Far North Queensland in Australia. The city is the 5th most populous in Queensland and 14th overall in Australia. Cairns was founded in 1876 and named after William Wellington Cairns, Governor of Queensland from 1875-1877. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region. The estimated residential population of the Cairns urban area in 2016 was 157,847. The region has experienced an average annual growth rate of 2.8% over the last 10 years.

Cairns is a popular travel destination for tourists because of its tropical climate and access to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Mayor of Darwin

Katrina Fong Lim (born 1961) is the Lord Mayor of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Katrina completed a Bachelor of Business and Master of Professional Accounting at the University of Southern Queensland.

Katrina was born in 1961 in Darwin; the fourth daughter of respected local couple Alec and Norma Fong Lim. Alec was a businessman who eventually became a very popular Lord Mayor in the 1980s. Katrina completed her primary and secondary education in Darwin, matriculating from Darwin High School in 1979. She was an AFS Exchange Student to the USA for the 1978-79 school year.

Katrina worked for thirteen years with the Commonwealth Public Service, undertaking a variety of jobs in a range of government departments. She then left the Public Service to work in the not for profit sector where she worked for 20 years including time at the YWCA, Crafts Council, NT Centenary of Federation and most recently as the Executive Director of Australia Day Council NT.

Katrina completed both a Bachelor of Business with a double major plus a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Southern Queensland by external studies. She has also operated a small business initially delivering Financial Management Training to builders through the Master Builders Association NT.

Katrina was voted Lord Mayor of Darwin in April 2012, and together with twelve elected Aldermen, will lead the 21st Council of Darwin for a period of four years.

Katrina lives with her husband Tony Waite in Nightcliff. She names her five sisters and mother as her strongest supporters and influencers, with the values and ethics instilled by her late father Alec Fong Lim still guiding her today.




Darwin
Darwin, is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin is the largest city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, with a population of 136,245. It is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian capital cities, and acts as the Top End's regional centre. Darwin was originally a pioneer outpost.

Darwin's proximity to South East Asia makes it an important Australian gateway to countries such as Indonesia and East Timor. The Stuart Highway begins in Darwin, ending at Port Augusta in South Australia. The city itself is built on a low bluff overlooking the harbour. Its suburbs spread out over some area, beginning at Lee Point in the north and stretching to Berrimah in the east. Past Berrimah, the Stuart Highway goes on to Darwin's satellite city, Palmerston, and its suburbs. The Darwin region, like the rest of the Top End, has a tropical climate, with a wet and a dry season. The city is noted for its consistently warm to hot climate, all throughout the year. Prone to cyclone activity during the wet season, Darwin experiences heavy monsoonal downpours and spectacular lightning shows. During the dry season, the city is met with blue skies and gentle sea breezes from the harbour.

The greater Darwin area is the ancestral home of the Larrakia people. On 9 September 1839, HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin harbour during its surveying of the area. John Clements Wickham named the region "Port Darwin" in honour of their former shipmate Charles Darwin, who had sailed with them on the ship's previous voyage which had ended in October 1836. The settlement there became the town of Palmerston in 1869, and was renamed Darwin in 1911.The city has been almost entirely rebuilt twice, once due to Japanese air raids during World War II, and again after being devastated by Cyclone Tracy in 1974.

Mayor of Toowoomba

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio has been Mayor of the region since 2012. Bringing more than 30 years of local government experience to the role, Paul was previously the Deputy Mayor of the Toowoomba Regional Council in its first amalgamated term, and Mayor of Millmerran Shire Council for eight years, having served continuously on Council from 1982-2008.

As Mayor of one of Australia's most family friendly cities, Paul leads the region at a time of intense growth and development. The current and projected spend in the broader region is estimated at more than $11 billion dollars which includes the construction of the much anticipated Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, one of Australia's largest ever inland road projects.

Paul is the founding Chair of the Darling Downs South West Queensland Council of Mayors and a director of the Council of Mayors South East Queensland which collectively represents in in seven Australians.

Mayor Antonio continues to advocate for Toowoomba's place on the planned Brisbane to Melbourne Inland Rail Line and is an executive member of the alliance of Local Governments likely to be impacted by the project.
Paul is also leading the business community to position Toowoomba as the transport and logistics hub of Queensland and Australia.

Other significant initiatives delivered under Paul's leadership include an extensive flood recovery and mitigation program for Toowoomba following the devastating floods of 2011 and 2013; declaration of the region a Refugee Welcome Zone; and hosting one of Queensland's largest White Ribbon Day events promoting peace particularly in families and homes.

Paul holds a Diploma of Agriculture, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has held of number of board positions.

Serving as patron of a number of local associations, Paul is also a White Ribbon Ambassador.

In his time away from Council the Mayor continues his interest in the family farming operation west of Millmerran concentrating on the production of Angus beef and grain.


Toowoomba

Toowoomba (nicknamed 'The Garden City' and the 'Queen City') is a city in the

Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. It is located 125 km (78 mi) west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane by road. The estimated population of Toowoomba as of 2016 is 165,168. A university and cathedral city, that hosts the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers each September and national championship events for the sports of mountain biking and motocross. There are more than 150 public parks and gardens in Toowoomba.It has developed into a regional centre for business and government services. It is also referred to as the capital of the Darling Downs.

It is the sixteenth-largest city in Australia, the sixth largest in Queensland, after Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns. Toowoomba is the most populous inland city in the country after the national capital, Canberra.

Mayor of Ballarat

Councillor Des Hudson was re-elected to Council in October 2012 having

previously held the role of Deputy Mayor in 2007 and 2008. Councillor Hudson was first elected to Council in March 2002 to represent the Sebastopol Ward. 

One of three South Ward Councillors, Councillor Hudson is also a People and Communities Portfolio Councillor.

Councillor Hudson is committed to being actively involved in the growth of Ballarat and in the development of a long term vision for the city. Cr Hudson advocates strongly ensuring all South Ward residents are well represented.

Councillor Hudson is the current President and Life Member of the Ballarat Police Blue Light Committee, Executive Member of the Ballarat & Maryborough Blue Ribbon Foundation, Chairperson of the Ballarat & District Suicide Prevention Network, Project Coordinator of ‘The BUS' Mobile Youth Entertainment Vehicle, Panel Member of the Ballarat and District Soccer Association Disciplinary Tribunal and is a Ballarat White Ribbon Day Ambassador.

Councillor Hudson is a serving member of Victoria Police with 24 years’ service.  He has been awarded both the National Medal and the Ethical Standards Medal and was a Runner-Up in the Victoria Police Youth Officer of the Year.  He is the current Youth Resource Officer for the Ballarat and Pyrenees Local Government Areas.





Ballarat
Ballarat, is a city located on the Yarrowee River and lower western plains of the Great Dividing Range in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately 105 kilometres (65 mi) west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. It is the third most populous urban area in the state, with a population of 96,940 It is the state's most populated inland settlement, and third most populated inland settlement in Australia. People from Ballarat are referred to as Ballaratians.

The City of Ballarat local government area encompasses both the Greater Ballarat urban area and outlying towns, with an area of 740 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and has an urban area population of 93,501.Ballarat is its most populous urban centre, seat of local government and administrative centre.

It was named by Scottish squatter Archibald Yuille who established the first settlement − his sheep run called Ballaarat − in 1837, with the name derived from a local Wathaurong Aboriginal word for the area, balla arat, thought to mean "resting place". The present spelling was officially adopted by the City of Ballarat in 1996.

The Eureka Rebellion began in Ballarat, and the only armed rebellion in Australian history, the Battle of Eureka Stockade, took place on 3 December 1854. In response to the event the first male suffrage in Australia was instituted and as such Eureka is interpreted by some as the origin of democracy in Australia. The gold rush and boom gave birth to many other significant cultural legacies. The rebellion's symbol, the Eureka Flag has become a national symbol and is held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka in Ballarat. Other nationally significant heritage structures include the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, established 1857, the best example of a regional botanic gardens in Australia with the greatest concentration of public statuary including the official Prime Ministers Avenue; the longest running lyric theatre building, Her Majesty's, established 1875; the first municipal observatory, established 1886; and the earliest and longest memorial avenue, the Avenue of Honour, established between 1917 and 1919.

Proclaimed a city in 1871, its prosperity continued until late in the 19th century, after which its importance relative to both Melbourne and Geelong rapidly faded with the slowing of gold extraction. It has endured as a major regional centre hosting the rowing and kayaking events from the 1956 Summer Olympics. It is the commercial capital of the Central Highlands and the largest city in the Goldfields region of Victoria—a significant tourist destination. Ballarat is known for its history, culture and its well-preserved Victorian era heritage.

Mayor of Bendigo

Lockwood Ward Councillor, Rod Fyffe, was formally elected as Mayor of Greater Bendigo City

Council on Tuesday November 10, 2015.

During his inaugural speech, Cr Fyffe said Council’s top priority must be to deliver the projects and strategies identified in the Council Plan.

“This includes having construction underway on the Greater Bendigo Indoor Aquatic Leisure and Wellbeing Centre, the Bendigo Airport redevelopment and the Bendigo Stadium expansion,” Cr Fyffe said.

“It also includes investing in our city’s health and wellbeing by expanding our network of shared pathways for walkers and cyclists, and continuing to invest in maintaining the city’s existing infrastructure.

“And it means continuing to implement Council’s big strategies – the Connecting Greater Bendigo: Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy and the Residential Development Strategy, the Hospital Precinct Structure Plan and the Rosalind Park Master Plan.



Bendigo,is a city in Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) north west of the state capital, Melbourne. Bendigo has an urban population of 82,794 making it the fourth largest inland city in Australia and fourth most populous city in the state. It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Bendigo which encompasses both the urban area and outlying towns spanning an area of approximately 3,000 square kilometres (1,158 sq mi) and over 111,000 people.

The discovery of gold in the soils of Bendigo during the 1850s made it one of the most significant Victorian era boomtowns in Australia. News of the finds intensified the Victorian gold rush bringing an influx of migrants to the city from around the world within a year and transforming it from a sheep station to a major settlement in the newly proclaimed Colony of Victoria. Once the alluvial gold had been mined out, mining companies were formed to exploit the rich underground quartz reef gold. Since 1851 about 780,000 kilograms (25 million troy ounces) of gold. have been extracted from Bendigo's goldmines, making it the highest producing goldfield in Australia in the 19th century and the largest gold mining economy in eastern Australia. It is also notable for its Victorian architectural heritage. The city took its name from the Bendigo Creek and its residents from the earliest days of the goldrush have been called "Bendigonians".

Mayor of Albury-Wodonga

LAST year Albury saw the ascent of its new mayor Henk van de Ven.
He took over the reins from former mayor Cr Kevin Mack who served for two terms from September 2013 to September 2015.
Cr van de Ven’s main goal coming into his new posting was to preserve the future of local government.
Cr van de Ven, who had been on Albury Council for 11 years and served as deputy mayor four times strongly believed that the biggest issue was the future of council.
“We’ve lost indexation on FAG grants, we’ve had to put up the money for Fit for the Future submissions, and there’s rumours and innuendo around about what’s going to happen to councils – that they’re all going to be sacked, they’re all going to be forced to merge, and I think that’s the real hub of the whole issue at the moment,” Cr van de Ven said at that time.
During his term as mayor, Cr van de Ven said he wanted to ensure that the council was well engaged with the community and listened to what it wants for the future progress of the city.
“I think the people of Albury deserve democracy at a local level,” he said.
“I think we’ve got some tough times with the Fit for the Future and possible amalgamations so my aim really is to continue the good work this council has done in the past three years.”



The City of Albury is a local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The area covers 305.9 square kilometres (118.1 sq mi) to the north of the Murray River. The area extends around 10–12 km east and west along the river from the centre of Albury and up to 20 km north.

Albury is located 460 kilometres (290 mi) to the south–west of Sydney and 260 kilometres (160 mi) to the north–east of Melbourne. The national Hume Highway passes through the area. Other major road transport links include the Riverina Highway that commences east of Albury and runs west to Deniliquin; and north of Albury, the Olympic Highway connects Albury with Cowra. The city forms a major crossing point of the Murray River and also the railway junction of the Main Southern line with the North East line.

Albury was declared a municipality in 1859 and proclaimed a city in 1946.

The Mayor of the City of Albury is Cr. Henk van de Ven.